Best Git GUI for Windows 11 and 10 in 2026: 9 Git clients compared

The best Git GUI for Windows depends on how you work. For beginners on GitHub, GitHub Desktop is free, open source and simple. Sourcetree is a free client with a branch graph, though on Windows it asks you to register with Bitbucket or an Atlassian account. Teams that pay for seats get the most integrations from GitKraken Desktop, while Fork, Tower, SmartGit and Sublime Merge are polished tools for power users that need a paid licence for work. TortoiseGit puts Git into File Explorer and has a native ARM64 build. And GitTree, our app, is a free Git client for Windows 11 and 10 with private repositories, a full interactive rebase and a three-way conflict editor included.

A note before the list: GitTree’s maker wrote this guide, so GitTree appears first and is clearly labelled as ours. Every other client is described only from its vendor’s official website, documentation and release notes, checked in October 2026 and listed in the sources at the end. Prices and plans change, so confirm them on the vendor’s page before you buy.

Best Git client for Windows: quick picks

• Best free Git GUI for Windows with private repositories: GitTree (our app), free today for individuals and companies.
• Best for beginners on GitHub: GitHub Desktop, free and open source, with an installer that needs no administrator rights.
• Best free graph client for Bitbucket and Jira users: Sourcetree.
• Best for teams that pay for integrations: GitKraken Desktop, with pull requests on four hosts, Jira, Trello and hosted AI on paid plans.
• Best for Windows on ARM: Tower (paid) or TortoiseGit (free), both with native ARM64 builds.
• Best one-time purchase: Fork at $59.99, or Sublime Merge at US$99 for a personal licence (prices as of October 2026).
• Best for deep Git features and a portable build: SmartGit, free for non-commercial use.
• Best inside File Explorer: TortoiseGit, free and open source.

Git GUI for Windows 11: the comparison table

How the nine clients compare on the points that matter most on Windows, as of October 2026. “Bundled” means the client ships its own Git, so you don’t have to install Git for Windows first.

Do you need Git for Windows for a Git GUI?

Usually not. Seven of the nine clients ship their own copy of Git: GitKraken Desktop, GitHub Desktop, Sourcetree, Fork, Tower, SmartGit and Sublime Merge. Two run the Git you install yourself: TortoiseGit, which needs Git for Windows 2.24 or newer, and GitTree, which needs 2.39 or newer. A client that uses your Git behaves exactly like git in PowerShell or Git Bash, and it improves whenever you update Git.

Even with a client that bundles Git, you may want Git for Windows anyway: GitHub’s documentation notes that to use Git on the command line, you need to install it yourself. In PowerShell, check what you have, then install Git for Windows with winget or update it:

git --version
winget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget
winget upgrade --id Git.Git -e --source winget

Git for Windows also includes Git GUI, a graphical tool for most Git commands, along with Git Bash. The clients below go further, with features such as colour-coded commit graphs, drag-and-drop rebasing and in-app pull requests. If you are still deciding whether you need a GUI at all, read Git GUI vs command line.

See the editors in action in our guides to interactive rebase in a Git GUI and resolving merge conflicts step by step, or read the full GitTree for Windows guide with system requirements and troubleshooting.

Which Git GUIs run natively on Windows on ARM?

If you use an ARM-based Windows laptop, look for a native ARM64 build before you install. As of October 2026, the official download pages say:

• Native ARM64: Tower, with ARM64 MSI packages as well, and TortoiseGit.
• In preview: GitKraken Desktop offers an ARM64 installer marked “preview”.
• Beta channel only: GitHub Desktop publishes Windows ARM64 builds on its beta channel; stable releases are x64.
• x64 only: GitTree, Sourcetree, SmartGit and Sublime Merge. Requests for an ARM64 build are open for Sourcetree and Sublime Merge.
• Not stated: Fork’s official pages don’t say which Windows processors it supports.

Which Git client for Windows is free?

Four of the nine cost nothing for any use, including at work:

• GitTree: free today for individuals and organizations, private repositories included; it is closed source and needs a free account.
• GitHub Desktop: free and open source under the MIT licence; only its AI features need a GitHub Copilot plan.
• Sourcetree: free closed-source software from Atlassian, including the Enterprise MSI.
• TortoiseGit: free and open source under the GPL; its site says anyone may use it, including in a commercial environment.

The rest are free only in part. GitKraken’s free Community plan covers local repositories and public remotes, so private hosted repositories need Pro. SmartGit’s free licences are for hobby, education, open-source and charity use, granted after a manual review, and exclude paid work. Fork and Sublime Merge let you evaluate for free but need a licence for continued use, and Tower has a 30-day trial, then a subscription. For the licence terms in detail, see our guide to free Git GUIs for commercial use.

Our verdict: the best Git GUI for Windows in 2026

There is no single winner for everyone. If you are new to Git and work on GitHub, start with GitHub Desktop. If you need a native ARM64 build and your company pays, Tower is the most complete choice; on a budget, TortoiseGit runs natively on ARM64 for free. For integrations and team features across hosts, GitKraken Desktop leads, provided you pay for private work. And if you want a free Git client for Windows with a real commit graph, full interactive rebase, a three-way conflict editor and undo, try GitTree.

GitTree is one app for macOS, Windows and Linux. Browse every GitTree feature, or compare it in detail: GitTree vs GitKraken, GitTree vs Sourcetree, GitTree vs GitHub Desktop, GitTree vs Fork and GitTree vs Tower. On other systems, see the best Git client for Mac or our full round-up of the best Git GUI clients. Every installer is on the GitTree download page.